A corpse was found in the undercarriage of an American Airlines plane that arrived from Europe, prompting a police investigation.
Investigation underway
Police in Charlotte, North Carolina, are investigating the death of a passenger who stowed away in the wheel well of an American Airlines aircraft, CNN reports. The plane had arrived from Europe, and the identity of the deceased remains unknown. “We are deeply shaken by this news and will assist the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department if needed,” the Charlotte Douglas International Airport stated.
High fatality risk
CNN notes that hiding in a plane’s wheel well is extremely dangerous, yet it remains a common method for stowaway travel. In 2019, the Federal Aviation Administration reported that 77% of such attempts end in death.
Recent cases
Last week, a 13-year-old Afghan boy was found alive in the wheel well of a plane that flew from Kabul to New Delhi. Earlier, the remains of two individuals were discovered in the undercarriage of a flight from New York to Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
